Pallone Calls for Major League Baseball to ban Chewing Tobacco
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) called for chewing tobacco to be banned from Major League Baseball at the Woodbridge Little League Field. In April, Pallone sent letters to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, Jr. and MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark demanding that MLB should ban the use of smokeless tobacco in all parts of the ballparks, including on the field and in the dugout. Pallone was joined by representatives of the American Cancer Society and the President of the Woodbridge Little League.
Professional baseball players have long been seen both on the field and in the dugout chewing tobacco. This public use amounts to free advertising for the tobacco industry and lends itself to public acceptance of the use of smokeless tobacco. Without a complete ban, smokeless tobacco will continue to receive free advertising from America’s pastime and use of these products will continue to be seen as an acceptable part of the game by fans both young and old.
“While some argue that professional players are adults and chewing tobacco is a personal choice, we can’t escape the fact that these players are role models and their behavior and habits are often copied by young players and fans alike,” said Pallone. “MLB and the MLB Players Association must finally ban the use of smokeless tobacco. It’s time to get chewing tobacco out of baseball for good. That would be a home run for the health of our nation and a relief for parents with little leaguers throughout this country.”
“Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in the nation,” said Bill Sherman, vice-president, government relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “Even as youth smoking rates decline, smokeless tobacco use remains steady. Smokeless tobacco products contain at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals and are linked to oral, pancreatic and esophageal cancer. It’s time for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association and Major League Baseball to step up to the plate and knock tobacco out of the ballpark.”
Today, millions of teenagers and young adults in the U.S. use smokeless tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the use of smokeless tobacco by youth athletes increased from 2001 to 2013. The CDC also found that young athletes are almost 80 percent more likely to use smokeless tobacco products than non-athletes. The dangers of chewing tobacco are well known. According to the National Cancer Institute, smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 cancer causing chemicals, and has devastating health effects, including oral, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer. It also leads to heart and gum disease, tooth decay, and the loss of jaws, chins, cheeks and noses.
Pallone first called for a ban on chewing tobacco at an Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing in 2010 when he was chairman. That hearing was followed by multiple letters to MLB and to individual teams asking them to take action to get chewing tobacco out of the game.
MLB responded to those requests by proposing a ban during the last contract negotiations with the players, but the final agreement fell short because the MLBPA opposed a ban. The contract did, however, prohibit players from smoking when in uniform or in view of spectators, from having tobacco tins in their uniform pockets, and from conducting televised interviews while using smokeless tobacco. Unfortunately, professional players continue to face the devastating health effects associated with the use of smokeless tobacco. In 2014, San Diego Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died after a long battle with salivary gland cancer, which he attributed to his longtime use of chewing tobacco.